Adjustable chair-back.



PATENTED JUNE 19, 1906.

M. F. GLE NNUN.

ADJUSTABLE GEAIR BACK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. i905.

WWI Lassen -UNITE STATES.

P T NT OFFICE Specification of Letters Patent.

ADJUSTAVBWLE CHAIR-BACK,

Iatented June 19, 19.06

. ApplicationfiledN0i1ember 2'7,1905. Seria1No.289.330.

['0 ct whom itmay concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL FRANCIS GLENNoN,-a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Medina, in the county of Orleans and State of New York, have invented cer- ,tain new and useful Improvements in Adjustable Chair-Backs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in I chairs, couches,and the like having adjust able swinging backs, and more particularly to automatic ratchet devices for holding the backs or back-rests in adjusted positions.

The object of the invention is to provide a ratchet of this character which will be of simple and inexpensive construction, but at the same time strong anddurable, and which will .be convenient and easy to operate and not liable to get out of order.

With the a ove and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a chair having a swinging back or rest with my improved automatic ratchet device applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a detail horizontal sectional view through the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ratchet removed from the chair. Fig. 4 is a view of the rear side of the ratchet, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the spring-guard for theratchet.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes the stationary portion of a Morris chair, couch, or similar-piece of furniture, 2 denotes a swinging back or rest for the same, and 3 denotes my improved ratchet device for holding the back 2 in adjusted angular position. This device com rises the usual swinging dog or pawl 4, w 'ch is pivotally mounted upon the back or rest 2, and a ratchet proper, 5, which is secured upon the stationary portion 1 of the chair or other article. The ratchet 5 ispreferably in the form of a casting consisting of an attaching-base 6, having a projecting portion 7 formed in its upper face, with a plurality of teeth 8 9 10 11 which have recesses or seats 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 between them. The ratchet thus formed is adapted to be traveled by the usual stud 17 upon the swinging dog or pawl 4, which en- 'ages any one of said recesses or sockets in order to support the back 2 at the desired an gle.

the seats or recesses without being manually In order to permit the stud '17 of the .dog 4 to be quickly engaged with any one of lifted and inserted therein, I provide a springof resilient metal, which is disposed above the ratchet-teeth and recesses and has its u per reduced end normally seated upon tl ie end of the uppermost tooth 11, as shown.

guard 18. The latter is in the form of a strip This p g-guard is detachably secured upon T the ratchet by bending inwardly from the inner edge of the same an attaching-tongue 20, which 1S adapted to seat in a recess or groove 21, formed in the inner faceof the body of the ratchet, as clearly shown in the drawings. This attaching-tongue is retained in said recess by one of the screws or similar fastening devices 22, which pass through apertures formed in the base 6. of the body of the ratchet. .The screw 23, which secures the spring-guard in position, passes through an aperture or opening 24, formed in the tongue 20, as shown. The resiliency of the guard causes it to rest normally upon the curved upper edge of the base 6, so that its reduced end 19 projects over and closes the upper most recess or seat 16.

The construction, use, and advantages of the invention will be readily observed upon reference to the drawings. It will be seen that as the back 2 is swung upwardly the stud 17 of the dog or pawl will slip up over the outer faces of the teeth and successively drop into the recesses or seats to support the back seat or body of the chair or couch. As the stud 17 rides up over the uppermost tooth 11 it elevates the end 19 of the guard and drops into the uppermost recess or seat 16. Should the back be swung upwardly to a greater extent, the stud 17 will pass into the extreme upper end of the ratchet and slide under the upper face of the guard when the back 2 is.

swung downwardly and rearwardly. This guard thus prevents the stud from dropping into the seats or recesses until it slides off the lower end of the guard and drops into the 2 at the desired angle withrespect to the lowermost seat or recess '12, from which it may be again moved forwardly and successively engaged with the recesses or seats, as previously stated. The provision of this guard also permits the pawl to be readily disengaged from the rack for the purpose of de-' taching the swinging back or support 2. Owing to the peculiar construction of the guard, it will be seen that the same while light is both strong and durable and that when secured with the ratchet to the chair it forms an integral part of the ratchet.

7 Various changes in the form, proportion,

and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A ratchet of the character described comprising a body having upon its inner face a recess or groove and upon its outer face a plurality of teeth having seats between them, and a guard comprising a spring-plate having a projecting tongue to enter the recess in the inner face of said ratchet-body and having its free end normally closing the seat or recess formed by the uppermost tooth of said ratchet.

MICHAEL FRANCIS GLENNON.

Witnesses SIMON HARRINGTON, CHARLES MORGAN. 

